Grapevine ‘IFG Eight’

ABSTRACT

This invention is a new and distinct grapevine variety denominated ‘IFG Eight’. The new grapevine is characterized by producing crisp oval, seedless fruits which are fully black in color and ripen early in the growing season.

Latin name of the genus and species claimed: Vitis vinifera.

Variety denomination: ‘IFG Eight’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new and distinct grapevine described and claimed herein originated from a hand pollination of the Summer Royal (non-patented) variety and the Regal variety (South African PBR ZA971795) performed in May 2004. The resulting plants were planted into the field in April 2005. The present variety of grapevine was selected as a single plant in August 2006 and was first asexually propagated by hardwood cuttings in December 2006. The resulting propagules were planted during April 2007 near Delano, Kern County Calif. and were found to reproduce true-to-type through at least two generations of asexual propagation.

BREIF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new grapevine ‘IFG Eight’ is characterized by producing naturally large, oval, completely black seedless berries which are firm in texture and ripen early in the growing season. Fruits normally ripen in late July to early August near Delano, Calif.

To the inventor's knowledge, the known variety which the new grapevine variety is most similar to is its parent the Summer Royal variety. ‘IFG Eight’ can be distinguished from the Summer Royal variety by its producing naturally larger berries (about 8.4 grams as opposed to about 5.0 grams for Summer Royal), by having a broader, more desirable cluster shape and thicker and tougher peduncle and pedicle. The ‘IFG Eight’ stores better than the Summer Royal variety. ‘IFG Eight’ exhibits very little stem drying, berry shatter or decay when stored for up to eight weeks.

The ‘IFG Eight’ differs from the Regal variety by producing oval black colored fruits as opposed to the elongated white fruits of the Regal variety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

The accompanying photographic illustration in FIG. 1 illustrates in full color ‘IFG Eight’. The colors are as nearly true as is reasonably possible in a color representation of this type.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Throughout this specification, color names beginning with a small letter signify that the name of that color, as used in common speech, is aptly descriptive. Color names beginning with a capital letter designate values based upon R.H.S. Colour Chart, published by The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England.

Throughout this specification subjective description values conform to those set forth by the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute publication ‘Descriptors for Grape’ (Vitis spp.) (1983) which was developed in collaboration with the Office International de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV) and the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV).

The descriptive matter which follows pertains to ‘IFG Eight’ plants grown in the vicinity of Delano, Kern County, Calif. during 2010, and is believed to apply to plants of the variety grown under similar conditions of soil and climate elsewhere:

-   Vine:     -   -   General.—Size — Medium. Vigor — Vigorous. Density of foliage             — Dense. Productivity — Moderately Productive. Root stock —             Own root. Training method — Typically spur pruned leaving 2             bud spurs but may require cane pruning under some climatic             and cultural conditions.         -   Trunk.—Trunk diameter of 4-year-old vines at 30 cm above the             soil line — 5.9 cm. Shape — Medium. Straps — Short-Split.             Surface texture — Medium-Shaggy. Inner bark color — 164B,             165B, C, 166A. -   Shoots:     -   -   Young shoot.—Form of tip — Fully opened. Distribution of             anthocyanin coloration of tip — Absent. Intensity of             anthocyanin coloration of tip — Absent. Density of prostrate             hairs of tip — Medium. Density of erect hairs of tip —             Absent. Color — 146C, D, 144A.         -   Woody shoots (mature canes).—Shape — Medium. Internode             length — Medium; About 13.0 cm. Width at node — About             1.6 cm. Cross section — Circular. Surface — Striate. Main             color — Reddish brown; 177C, D, 174B,C. Density of erect             hairs of nodes — None. Density of erect hairs on internodes             — None. Growth of axillary shoots at full bloom —             Medium-Strong. Approximately 11.1 cm.         -   Flowering shoot.—Vigor during flowering — Medium-Strong.             Attitude during flowering on shoots not tied — Semi-erect to             Semi-drooping. Color — dorsal side of internodes — Yellow             green with Red stripes; 145A, 146A, B, 144A. Color — ventral             side of internodes — Green. Color — dorsal side of nodes —             Green-greyed purple; 183A, B. Color — ventral side of nodes             — Green. Density of prostrate hairs of nodes — Very sparse.             Density of erect hairs of nodes — None. Density of prostrate             hairs on internode — Very sparse. Density of erect hairs on             internode — None. Anthocyanin coloration of buds — Absent.         -   Tendrils.—Distribution on the shoot (at full flowering) —             Discontinuous. Length of Tendril — Medium-Long; About             20.4 cm. Thickness — Medium. Color — 144C, 151A. Form —             bifurcated. Number of consecutive tendrils — 2. -   Leaves:     -   -   Young leaves.—Color of upper surface of first four distal             unfolded leaves — Green. Average intensity of anthocyanin             coloration of six distal leaves prior to flowering — Weak.             Density of prostrate hairs between veins (lower surface) —             Very sparse. Density of prostrate hairs on veins (lower             surface) — Sparse-Medium. Density of erect hairs between             veins (lower surface) — Absent. Density of erect hairs on             veins (lower surface) — Very sparse.         -   Mature leaves.—Average length — About 13.7 cm. Average width             — About 14.9 cm. Mature leaf size — Medium. Shape of blade —             Pentagonal. Number of lobes — 5. Anthocyanin coloration of             main veins on upper side of blade — Absent. Mature leaf             profile — Flat. Blistering surface of blade upper surface —             Very weak. Leaf blade tip — In the plane of the leaf.             Undulation of margin — Slight. Thickness — Medium.             Undulation of blade between main and lateral veins — Only             near petiole. Shape of teeth — Mixture of both side's             straight and both sides convex. Length of teeth — Medium.             Ratio length/width of teeth — Medium. Shape of upper lateral             sinuses — Lobes slightly overlapping. Depth of upper lateral             sinuses — Medium. General shape petiole sinus — Slightly             open. Shape of base of upper leaf sinuses — V-shaped. Tooth             at petiole sinus — Absent. Density of prostrate hairs             between veins on lower surface of blade — Absent. Density of             erect hairs between veins on lower surface of blade —             Absent. Density of prostrate hairs on main veins on lower             surface of blade — Sparse. Density of erect hairs on main             veins on lower surface of blade — None or very sparse.             Density of prostrate hairs on main veins on upper surface of             blade — Sparse. Density of erect hairs on main veins on             upper surface of blade — Very sparse. Autumn coloration of             leaves — Yellow-green; 151A, Grey-yellow; 160A, Grey-red;             178C, Grey-purple; 187A, B, 186C.         -   Upper surface.—Color — 137A, 144A, 146A, B. Anthocyanin             coloration of main veins — Absent to Very weak. Surface             appearance — Dull. Blistering surface of blade — Weak.         -   Lower surface.—Color — 147B, 144A. Anthocyanin coloration of             main veins (lower surface) — Absent. Glossiness — Weak.             Surface texture — Smooth. Surface appearance — Semi-glossy             to Dull.         -   Petiole.—Length — About 10.5 cm. Length of petiole compared             to middle vein — Slightly shorter. Density of prostrate             hairs on petiole — None. Density of erect hairs on petiole —             None.         -   Buds.—Bud fruitfulness — Basal: Mostly fruitful. Position of             first fruitful shoot on previous season cane — 1^(st) to             2^(nd) node. Time of bud burst — Early to Medium, Feb. 25,             2010. -   Flowers:     -   -   General.—Flower sex — Hermaphrodite. Length of first             inflorescence — Medium; About 19.7 cm long by 12.8 cm wide.             Position of first flowering and fruiting node —             2^(nd)-3^(rd) (current season growth). Number of             inflorescence per flowering shoot — 1. Time of bloom — Early             as compared with similar varieties in the growing area of             Delano, Calif. Date of full bloom — May 15, 2010. -   Fruit:     -   -   General.—Ripening period — Early; Approximately Aug.             9, 2010. Use — Fresh market. Keeping quality — Good.             Resistance to — insects: Average typical of Vitis vinifera             species. Diseases: Average typical of Vitis vinifera             species. Refractometer test — solid-sugar: About 18.6 Brix.             Brix/acid — About 37.2. Titratable acidity — About 0.50.             Juice pH — About 3.7.         -   Cluster.—Mature cluster length (peduncle excluded) — About             23.2 cm. Mature cluster width — About 19.3 cm. Mature             cluster weight — About 1154 g. Bunch density — Medium.             Number of berries — About 198. Form — Conical.         -   Peduncle.—Lignification of peduncle — Medium. Length of             peduncle — Long. Approximately 6.5 cm.         -   Berry.—Uniformity of size — Uniform. Single berry weight —             About 8.4 g natural; to about 9.1 g when treated with             gibberellic acid. Shape — Obtuse ovate. Seeds — Traces             occasionally noticeable. Cross section — Circular. Berry             dimensions — longitudinal axis: About 30.6 mm. horizontal             axis: About 21.3 mm. Berry firmness — Medium firm.             Particular flavor — Neutral. Bloom (cuticular wax) — Weak to             Medium. Berry separation from pedicel — Medium difficult.             Skin color (without bloom) — Greyed-Purple; N186A, C, 187A.         -   Skin.—Thickness — Medium. Texture — Medium. Reticulation —             Absent. Tenacity — Tenacious to flesh. 

1. A new and distinct variety of grapevine as herein illustrated and described. 